1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power semiconductor module device in which a connection form of an external connection terminal of a power semiconductor module can be converted by a conversion adaptor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Power semiconductor modules have been used in power conversion circuits for electric power devices such as power supplies or electric motors or for applications thereof such as refrigerators, air conditioners, machine tools, hybrid cars, electric cars, or the like. There are a wide variety of forms in these electric power products. For wiring in a power portion of a power semiconductor module, a wire harness may be used in one case while a printed circuit board may be used in another case. A suitable connection form for each intended purpose has been requested.
For example, when a wire harness is connected to a power semiconductor module, there has been broadly used a method in which an external connection terminal having a screw hole is provided and disposed in a housing of the power semiconductor module and a crimped terminal attached to a front end of the wire harness is screw-connected to the external connection terminal by use of a fixation screw fastened to the screw hole. On the other hand, when a power semiconductor module is connected to a printed circuit board, there has been broadly used a method in which a pin terminal is provided and disposed on a surface of the power semiconductor module facing the printed circuit board, and the pin terminal is inserted into a through hole of the printed circuit board and soldered thereto.
As an embodiment, Japanese Patent No. 2692449 discloses a power semiconductor module in which a flat plate-like external connection terminal having a screw hole is provided and disposed on a mounting surface of the power semiconductor module to be attached onto a printed circuit board so that the external connection terminal can be screw-connected to a hole-including terminal portion on the printed circuit board, by use of a fixation screw fastened to the screw hole. In addition, as another embodiment using a different system from the aforementioned system, Japanese Patent No. 2692449 discloses a power semiconductor module in which a pin-shaped external connection terminal extending perpendicularly to a mounting surface of the power semiconductor module to be attached onto a printed circuit board is provided and disposed on the mounting surface and inserted and connected to a connector on the printed circuit board.
When such power semiconductor modules are installed in their application products, the connection form of the external terminal in one product differs from that in another. Therefore, users may often feel inconvenience even if the electric specifications of the products are suited to their purposes. In fact, the connection forms of the external terminals cannot be ignored but become an important factor directly affecting miniaturization, cost reduction and maintainability of the application products.
However, when power semiconductor modules having different terminal shapes are produced in parallel, demand prediction for each module is more difficult than expected and one of the modules is highly likely to be left in useless stock. This is therefore economically unfavorable. A recent power semiconductor module includes not only a power semiconductor element but also a pre-driver circuit for performing pulse width modulation control on the power semiconductor element and a protection circuit for breaking a circuit against an overcurrent, an overvoltage or an excessive temperature rise. The power semiconductor module enhanced thus as a value-added product is so expensive that the uselessness must be avoided. In addition, there also arises directly economic inefficiency that two or more kinds of molds have to be prepared.